Tired of Cawl? Try Stumptown Stwnsh

For anyone who is not familiar with the term 'stwnsh', it is basically the Welsh word for mash. Traditionally this dish was prepared using potatoes, turnips, carrots or whatever root vegetables happened to be available. They could be boiled together or in separate pans but the ultimate goal was to mix and mash them. Stumptown stwnsh is a Portland, Oregon variant.

The ingredients

1 large rutabaga (swede)

2 large potatoes

1 large yam

a fistful of kale

half pack (2-3oz) of butter

seasoning (your preference)

Method

peel and boil the rutabaga for 40 mins

after 10 minutes add the peeled potatoes and yam

add the kale about 5 minutes before removing your pan from the heat

drain the water

add butter and season to taste

mash vigorously

The whole process takes about 40 minutes and when you're done you should have enough for about six servings.

I add turmeric, ginger, onion and garlic powder to my stwnsh but you can experiment with whatever you have in your spice rack. If you add sausage and onion gravy, stwnsh is an excellent way to spice up your bangers'n'mash . It also keeps well in the fridge and makes an excellent fried breakfast served with a poached or fried egg and bacon

If you make enough of the stuff (just increase the proportions above or add extra root veggies to the mix) it will last for days and provide an excellent accompaniment to any meat dish imaginable. It also tastes great with curry sauce and vegetable curry mixes.

AND of course it's cheap! Rutabaga's are not, never have been and hopefully never will be, popular or trendy. They are a root vegetable best left to those who appreciate their flavour, nutritional value and versatility.

Mwynhewch eich bwyd!

Stumptown Stwnsh - Serving Suggestions

Here is the final product presented in an ornamental dish (decorated especially for the occasion).